Electric sign



F. C. REILLY ELECTRIC SIGN Filed July 30, 1932 luauonOouuouucuoouoouoounuounw July 17, 1934.

j INVENTQR j'hmk C [Reilly BY g3 MOHQ'NE PATENT 1,967,066 'E sormo SIGN V Frank-C. Reilly, New York, N. Y. Application July so, 1932, SerialNo. 626,439

- 1 Claim. (01; 40-430) This invention relates to the class of signs in which two sets of lettering or characters occupy the same field and are selectively illuminated for night display and one is utilized for day time 5 display. Where the characters of the two signs overlie or cross each other on the common field, ertain objectional lighting effects result, producing what is termed the ghost of one sign or portions of one sign behind the other.

It is the object of this invention to overcome and eliminate this ghost effect and to generally improve the effectiveness of the sign.

The features of the invention by which the foregoing and other desirable objects are attained are set forth in the following specification and a practical illustration of the same is shown in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a broken front view of a portion of a large size double display day and night sign having features of the invention incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken cross-sectional detail as on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a generally similar sectional detail but illustrating the feature of the gasket ring for resiliently holding the light shield and forming a seal between the socket, the lamp and the shield. In Fig. 1, the characters of one of the signs are designated 5 and are shown in the form of appropriately shaped panels, constituting the letters F O R and serving as the day time display. For night service, these day time letters are outlined by electric lights 6.

The characters for the alternate night display sign are formed by the rows of electric lights '7 and these characters are merely outlined or skeletonized as indicated, so as not to be noticeable to the extent of confusing the day time display. The skeleton framing for carrying the al- 40 ternate night display may simply be in the form of a narrow boxing 8, only wide enough to carry the lamp sockets and hold the necessary wiring. Where the lines of the skeleton sign characters cross the areas of the day light sign characters, the sign outlining lights are simply continued on across the faces of the sign panels, as designated at '7, in Fig. 1.

It is these intersecting rows of lights crossing the faces of the sign panels which have produced the objectionable reflections and ghos effects heretofore referred to. Accordingly, these particular lights 7' of the skeleton sign characters which extend on across the solid sign panels, are shielded from the faces of such panels, so as not to produce conflicting lights and shadows.

It has been found preferable to shield each light individually, as by means of a hollow cover 9, surrounding and extending from the largest diameter of the light back to the face of the panel. These shields may be constructed of light metal or other suitable material and may be made to fit quite accurately the maximum diameter oi the lamp globe, so that the lamp in screwing home into the socket, will force the shield in place against the face of the sign and secure it in such position.

If desired, and usually such is preferred, rings or gaskets 10 of rubber or other suitable material are slipped over the bases of the lamps before they are screwed in place and these then form three-way seals as shown in Fig. 3, between the lamps, the rims 11 of the sockets and the smaller inner ends of the shield. In addition to functioning as seals, these packing rings hold the shields against rattling in the wind and serve as resilient locks for preventing the lamps and shields from loosening.

The lamp sockets which are designated 12 may be of the general construction shown, secured in place by screws 13, passed through from the front of the sign elements and positioned by having the rim portions 11 of the same projecting through the locating openings 14 in the sign characters. The smaller inner ends of the conical light shields may be made to approximately fit over these projecting rims of the sockets as indicated in Fig. 3, so that the shields will be definitely centered to some extent, independently of the lamps.

The shields being at the backs of the lamps, do not make the crossing portions of the skeleton sign any the more conspicuous and hence do not aifect the daylight appearance of the paneled sign. When however, the skeleton sign, or what may be considered the overlay is in service at night, these shields prevent light from the overlay lamps shining back and illuminating portions of the panel, thus obviatin and eliminating the objectionable secondary or ghost effects. Each sign is thus made distinct and independent of the other and confusion between the two is avoided.

In the present disclosure, only one practical commercial embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, but it will be understood from the broad scope of the claims that various structural modifications and changes may be made without departure from the true spirit and broad aspect of the invention.

If desired, all of the skeletonized sign lamps,

instead of only those crossing portions of the combination sign panels may be shielded, as these shields act as reflectors concentrating the light to the front of the sign and hence to preserve uniformity in lighting eiTect, in many cases, it is found best to use shields for all the lights 7 and 7. This possibility is indicated at the left in Fig. 1. Where however economy is of prime importance, these shields may be used on only those lights of the overlay which extend across the combination sign. It is to be noted that the shielding of the lights extending across the combination sign does not deface or disfigure the daylight appearance on the combination sign. The gaskets 10 may be formed as flat rings struck from sheets of rubber or like material, instead of the molded shape indicated in Fig. 3.

What is claimed is:

A changeable sign for day and night comprising panels each shaped as a single individual sign character and assembled as a readable sign for daytime display, lamp bulbs outlining said panels for efiecting night display of said same daytime characters forming assembled a readable night time sign, a second set of sign characters different from the first and standing in substantially the same plane and occupying portions of the same field for night display only, said second set of sign characters consisting only of lamp bulbs in skeletonized rows outlining the form of said sec ond set of sign characters, substantially invisible in daytime and said skeletonized rows of lamps extending in places across the faces of the daytime sign panels and those lamp bulbs of said second skeleton set of sign characters which are disposed over the faces of the daytime sign panels having shields for the back portions of the same disposed to prevent the light from said bulbs, illuminating adjoining portions of said panels in backof said lamp bulbs.

FRANK C. REILLY. 

